Receptacle foe toothpicks



(No Model.) f H. STAUB.

REGEPTACLB PoR TooTHPIeKs. NO- 545,546- Patented Sept. 3,- 1895.

A Heinrich Staub-.-

me/zizi.'

Arron/w? Yfs' PATENT y. OFFIC.

HEINRICH STAUB, OF POTSDAM, GERMANY.

RECEPTAoLe, FOR TooTHPlcKs.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,546, datedSeptember 3, 1895.

` Application filed September 8, 1894. Serial No. 522.521. (No model.)Patented in Belgium SeptemberI 14, 1894, No. 111,822, and in FranceOctober 13, 1894, No. 242,066. Y

To all whom it may concern,.-

B e it known that I, HEINRICH STAUB, a subject of the King of Prussia,German Emperor, and a resident of Potsdam, in the Kingdom of Prussia,German' Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iu Re-,ceptacles for Toothpicks, (for which I have received Letters Patent inFrance, No. 242,066, dated October 18, 1894, and in Belgium, No.111,822, dated September 14, 1894,) of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a receptacle for holdingtoothpicks or other similar articles which are liable to be soiled,injured, or wasted by handling, and which may be convenientlydisposedand readily accessible forseparating and delivering a singletoothpick or similar' article from a magazine containing a number ofthem without touching or handling any of the articles until they aredelivered one at a time from the magazine. It is especially designed foruse upon the table, bar, or buffet of the tavern or restaurant, toprovide an article of ornament, and also clearly display the contents ofthe magazine or receptacle within reach of the users or customers whomay help themselves without upsetting, deranging, or handling either apart or the entire contents of the receptacle.

The invention consists in certain features,

especially a verticallyrotating cylindrical shell, to contain thearticles preferablyin separate compartments, which is caused to rotateintermittently; an outer case for exhibiting the said shell and itscontents; special mechanism for accurately, conveniently, and certainlycausing the intermittent rotation of said cylinder by compactly andconveniently disposed mechanism, and means for catching and deliveringthe single articles as they are droppedfrom the receptacle in aconvenient and attractive manner to the user.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of atoothpick-dropping receptacle illustrating my invention; Fig. 2, avertical sectional elevation thereof in the line of the dropper and thedelivering-holder; Fig. 3, a plan of the apparatus with the cap 'removedto exhibit the rotating mechanism, and Fig. 4 a perspective of theretaining-pawl of the lever mechanism for giving intermittent movementto the cylindrical shell.v

An ornamental stem a and base a', preterably cast of some light metalcapable of Y delicate ornamentation, supports a circular table b, havingan upturned peripheralrimflange b2, and a central tubular post c,reduced at its upper end c', to provide a shoulder c2, and the upper endof the reduced portion c threaded to tit a Y correspondinglythreadedtubularprojection d', depending from the under side of the cap cl, whichlatter also has a downwardly-projecting rim-flange d2 of equal internaldiameter withthat of the rim-flange b2 to receive and support,respectively, the upper and lower ends of a glass or .inclosing cylinderg, which, forms the outer and thus hold and steady the movement of thesaid cylinder e at its lower end. The exterior of the lower 'half of thecylinder e is encircled by and supports a circle of shells or`shortcylinders f,secured thereto, which are caused. to intermittently rotatetherewith by the following-described means, which latter provides asimple and elective device easily operated by a push-rod. A knob h issecured to the upper end of a push-rod h',

which passes centrally through the cap d,-the depending tube d at thebottom, and a packed thimble d3 at the top of said cap to secure anaccurate frictionless vendwise movement of the rod h through the cap. Acoiled spring fits snugly in the tubular portion of the post o andsupports a stem lo and cone-plug 7c upon the upper end thereof tonormally press said cone up against the lower end of the push-rod h andhold the knob hin its raised position. The lower end of the push-rod hcarries a radial arm Z, having at its extremity a IOO wedge or coneshaped tooth Z, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and a detent-lever n, havinga pivothole m and prongs n', and a similar wedge or cone shaped tooth a2is supported upon a screw or stud pin at the upper end and upon theouter side of the post c. The prongs fn are at right angles to the levern, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and straddle the arm Z, and as the arm Zis raised and lowered by the pushrod h the free end of the lever fn willbe correspondingly and coincidently lowered and raised by the movementof said arm independently of gravitation and through the positive actionof the spring t', cone 7c, and pushrod h. The upper disk-plate eisperforated near its periphery at regular intervals in a circledirectly beneath the path of the coneteeth Z and n2 with holes 0 equalin number to the number of shells f around the cylinder e, into twonearly opposite ones of which said cone-teeth are alternately moved eachtime the push-rod h is pressed and released, thus imparting anintermittent rotary movement tothe cylinder e and to each of theshellsf. A discharge-aperture b of equal area. to that of one of theshellsfis located in the table l) at an equal distance from the axialline a: :c as that of the shells fand in such positions vertically tothe holes o and to the axial lines of the said shells f, when the latterare at rest, that each shell f will successively come opposite thedischarge-aperture b at each intermittent movement of the cylinder e anddeposit the contents of one of the shells or one toothpick each time theknob h and rod 7L are depressed. A delivery receptacle or boot p islocated beneath the discharge-aperture b and receives each toothpick asit falls through the dischargeaperture, and being of conical form andinclined outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, the toothpick held by thedelivery-receptacle is supported with an outward inclination and may beeasily picked up.

The receptacle is operated in the followingdescribed manner: The knob hand push-rod 71. are depressed, and the arm Z, supported upon theyielding cone-plug 7c in its raised position with its wedge-shaped toothZ a suitable distance above to properly clear the perforations in thedisk-plate e', is depressed with said push-rod k'. The prongs n' of thelever-arm n are first pushed down sufliciently to lift the cone-shapedtooth n2 upon the free end of said lever-arm out from the holes o ofsaid plate and at the same time barely enter the point of thewedge-shaped tooth Z -into one of the holes o of said disk-plate e, acontinued movement of said push-rod k and arm Z serving to continue tolift the detent cone-shaped tooth n2 a greater distance clear of thedisk, and the continued downward `movement of the wedge-tooth Z', afterentering one of the holes 2, pushes or Wedges the disk-plate e round asufficient distance to allow the coneshaped tooth n2 of the lever` n toenter the next succeeding hole of the disk-plate. When the push-rod 7Lis released, the spring-actuated cone-plug Zt, pressing beneath the armZ, will again raise the arm Z, push-rod Zt', and short forked end oflever n, the longer end, carrying the said cone-shaped tooth n2, beingthen pushed down a sufficient distance to Wedge or move the disk-plate ethe remaining portion of its movement to bring the next succeedinghole obeneath the wedge-shaped tooth Z of the arm Z, and at the same timebringing a toothpick opposite the` discharge-apertures b and allows itto drop into the boot-recepq tacle.

This is a dainty table ornament, and when a tine quality of tooth picksis used its employment is not only of an economic, but of a refinedcharacter, as the tooth picks are at all times, while visible throughthe glass casing g, protected from dust and from being handled by eachperson who picks up a toothpick.

It is obvious that this `device may be used to hold cigars, cigarettes,or matches and deliver them one at a time, but for such uses theaesthetic feature above referred to does not so obviously presentitself.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Adelivery receptacle comprising an outer casing having a dischargeopening in its bottom plate, a magazine cylinder supported to rotatetherein, a push rod in the same axis with the cylinder carrying atoothed arm to engage with apertures in magazine cylinder and a detentlever similarly pivoted to the central tube and actuated by the said armto give intermittent rotation to the magazine cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a delivery receptacle, the combination with the outer casinghaving a central tubular post, of the magazine cylinder having aperforate cap plate fitted thereon, a push rod in said post carrying a'toothed arm and a detent lever pivoted to the post and engaging withsaid arm to intermittently actuate v`the magazine cylinder by themovement of the push rod, substantially as described.

3. In a delivery receptacle, the combination with the outer casinghaving a discharge opening b', of the intermittently rotating cylindercarrying shells f, brought successively above said discharge opening bythe intermittent rotation of the cylinder, a central hub tube or post, apush rod supported therein carrying a toothed arm to engage with thecylinder and a .spring within the tube to lift the push rod,substantially as described.

f1. In a delivery receptacle, the combination of the outer casing havinga single discharge opening, the magazine cylinder, the central post, thepush rod and spring supported therein, the arm Z, secured to the pushrod and the tilting detent lever n, pivoted to the post and actuated bythe arm Z, to act roo IIO

IZO

conjointly therewith upon the magazine cylperforation of the cylinderhead, substaninder, substantially as described. yt'ially as described.

5. In a delivery receptacle, the combina- In testimcny'that I claim theforegoing as tion with a cylinder having a perforate head, my inventionI have signed my name in pres- 5 of an axial push rod carrying arm Z,anddeence vof two subscribing Witnesses.

pending cone tooth Z to engage successively said perforations, and adetent lever having HEINRICH STAUB. A pivot hole m, supported therebyupon the post Witnesses: or cylinder axis, prongs n', to engage the armCARL FR. REICHELT,

ro Z, and a depending tooth n2, to engage the W. HAUPT.

